About Me

I was previously a constitutional law and civil rights litigator and am now a journalist. I am the author of three New York Times bestselling books -- "How Would a Patriot Act" (a critique of Bush executive power theories), "Tragic Legacy" (documenting the Bush legacy), and With Liberty and Justice for Some (critiquing America's two-tiered justice system and the collapse of the rule of law for its political and financial elites). My fifth book - No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA and the US Surveillance State - will be released on April 29, 2014 by Holt/Metropolitan.

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Saturday, February 11, 2006

Posting today

(updated below)I will be posting several posts today at Crooks & Liars and will post the links here when those posts are available.

In the meantime, two items today -- an article from the Times and a Dana Milbank column in the Post -- highlight the growing (in both numbers and importance) opposition among Republicans to the Administration's illegal eavesdropping program. How ironic, and sad, that some Democrats seem so tentative about confronting the President with regard to his claimed powers of law-breaking at the very same time that many members of Bush's own party are awakening to the real dangers posed by the Administration's actions.

And, as described by Milbank's column, it's particularly noteworthy how true conservative believer Bob Barr was treated like an evil traitor at the Conservative Political Action Conference held this weekend all because he is critical of The President's violations of FISA. Conservatism in some circles really has morphed into The Cult of George Bush, which is why any criticism of the Leader -- even when the criticism is based on conservative principles -- is deemed to be blasphemous to the Cause. This really tells you all you need to know about what "conservativsm" has come to mean in certain circles:

Barr answered in the affirmative. "Do we truly remain a society that believes that . . . every president must abide by the law of this country?" he posed. "I, as a conservative, say yes. I hope you as conservatives say yes."

But nobody said anything in the deathly quiet audience. Barr merited only polite applause when he finished, and one man, Richard Sorcinelli, booed him loudly. "I can't believe I'm in a conservative hall listening to him say [Bush] is off course trying to defend the United States," Sorcinelli fumed.

Even to be subjected to the idea that "Bush is off course" is traumatic and wrong. Such an opinion has no place at a "conservative" event, where only praise and reverence of the Commander-in-Chief is appropriate.

* * * * * * *

My first at C&L is posted here, regarding the remarks of Ann Coulter at the Conservative Political Action Committee's annual event held this last week. Isn't it odd how demands are always made of every Democrat to denounce the latest "extremist" utterings from private citizens such as Michael Moore, Harry Belafonte, or Moveon.org, and yet all of the top GOP officials participate in an event where one of the featured speakers urges violence against "ragheads," Supreme Court Justices and former Presidents -- and not for the first time -- and nobody seems to think there's anything inappropriate about it, and none of the Republican luminaries are asked to denounce those comments or repudiate her?

Until Republicans sever their ties with repugnant hate-mongers like Ann Coulter and Pat Robertson, shouldn't we have a moratorium on demands that Democrats renounce their extremists elements, as well as a moratorium on Republican sermons about the importance for civility in the political arena?